I know it's been weeks since I last posted about the Biggest Loser. In fact, the finale happened last month. I finally got to sit down and watch the episodes. Between having a broken laptop that shut down 20 minutes into the show and trying to wait for my husband to be home so we can watch the episodes together, I just didn't get to sit and watch until last night.
If you want to see the show, go to nbc.com. The episodes will be expiring sometime in the near future.
***SPOILER ALERT***
I have to admit that one reason I didn't find an alternative way to watch the show was because the remaining contestants didn't float my boat. I wanted to see Austin at Makeover Week, but the season seemed to be overruled by the Purple Team. And I didn't really care for the Purple Team.
Makeover Week was nice. Tim Gunn made everyone look great. They got to see their families and the yellow line was erased. Jay got his 2nd chance to stay on the ranch. The sand castle competition for the car looked like fun. But, yet again, I was annoyed with the whining and complaining of the girls: "We have to run in the sand!" Yeah, for a CAR! They bugged.
The next week was Finals Week. The contestants had to show how much they learned. Austin won a 1 lb advantage at the challenge but had a horrible weigh in, confirming his one way ticket home. Poor Austin had no allies and because he's put everything on the line every week, he had his first bad week. It was just horrible timing. The Purple Team ensured their spots in the finale. Granted, it was the first time a team made it to the finale together, but there were so many other teams I would've liked to see in the finale.
The next week was basically a review of where the contestants started and how far they'd gone. Personally, I wouldn't have minded just skipping this episode.
The finale came and my absolute favorite part was watching the former contestants reveal themselves. Holy cow! Some people were absolutely amazing!
The At Home winner ended up being Deni. Wow, she looked great. The ones that blew me away the most were the twins, Don and Dan. After struggling so much at the ranch, I wondered if they'd succeed at home. And they did. They looked great. So many of the younger girls looked good too. I missed the announcement of Justin coming on stage, so when I looked up at the TV and saw him there, I caught myself before I said, "Who the heck is that?"
Where in the world was Rulon?
The final weigh in happened. If you're like me and go grocery shopping, then whether you saw the show or not, you know that Olivia won. Eh. She looked great. She worked hard. I hope next season's cast is so much more likable.
But what's the deal with Anna Kournikova as the new trainer? From what I understand, Cara and Brett are out next season. So it'll just be Bob and Anna.
I have a feeling that if next season doesn't pull some great ratings, there may not be a Season 13.
I'm upset that this season ended the way it did. It just wasn't that fun to watch after a while. I think this season died when Justin left.
What did you think? Who shocked you the most at the finale?
Showing posts with label Biggest Loser. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Biggest Loser. Show all posts
Wednesday, June 15, 2011
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
Last Night on the Biggest Loser
Here we are at Week 17 of the Biggest Loser already. You can see the episode Here or below.
***SPOILER ALERT***
This week was Favorites Week, when favorite former contestants come to visit the Ranch. If I'm remembering right, this became an official week just last season.
Anyway, the contestants got to meet and do a workout with Ali Vincent, the first ever female Biggest Loser, and Sam Poueu, a fan favorite from a few seasons ago. They all went to the gym and did a workout together. Since it was the first week after being in New Zealand for so long, the contestants had some realizations hit. First, they've come a long way since their first circuit workout 16 weeks previously. And second, seeing the former contestants that have gone on and kept themselves in order even after their season ended seemed to put a little more fire in some bellies. One of the remaining seven people will be this season's Biggest Loser.
The third favorite to visit was Tara Costa, aka the Machine! The woman rarely lost a challenge during her season and she had some incredible people she competed against. She should've won the show, but Helen won instead. Helen, the woman who threw her own daughter under the bus, but that's just my humble opinion.
What did you think of Tara competing in the car pull challenge? At first I wanted her to win because she's an amazing competitor, but it didn't take long until I was cheering for Rulon. He never got on the Wheaties box? After all the commotion of him beating the unbeatable Russian? Crazy! I wanted him to get that. But Tara is, after all, a machine.
So we get to the weigh in.
*Sigh*
During the last chance workout Rulon made some comments about being within 15 lbs of his goal weight and not being sad about leaving. Also, he had made the comment about Sam bowing out gracefully when he was at his goal weight. Wish I could remember those circumstances a little better. Anyway, he got up on the scale, announced he was leaving the show for personal reasons, tossed around a few hugs and walked away.
And that was it.
Not even a "Where they are today" moment afterward.
What?
I highly doubt Rulon left because Tara beat him out of getting on the Wheaties box. Cara said she thought he was exhausted from always competing. Maybe. Josh and I were talking about it and I can't help but wonder if now that his physical is in order and his mental game may be exhausted, did he need to focus on the spiritual aspects again? He just spent 4 months away from any spiritual elements he always had surrounding him. There was a determination on Rulon's face as he left. "Other things to take care of." I'd like to think that his determination was to continue to better his life in every aspect and he couldn't do it there at the Ranch. Of course, this is all just my own wondering.
Then the rest of the weigh in. Irene, the touted Biggest Loser on campus, was the first woman to hit the 100 lb mark on campus. However, she still fell below the yellow line. Olivia and Hannah surprised everyone with great numbers and making the top two spots on the leaderboard. Kaylee, on the other hand, gained weight (again) and went below the line with Irene.
Anyone else not really sad to see Kaylee go? She's been yo-yoing for so long that it will be good to see some of the others make the final four. Although, she was Austin's final ally and if he goes below the yellow line at all, he'll be gone. And then I'll really be sad.
I wish Rulon the best in his journey. I hope he is able to get himself all together again.
***More on Rulon****
After I finished writing this I found this article from the Deseret News which contained this quote from Rulon:
"Once I reached my goal and started feeling like my old self, I felt compelled to return home and support my wife, Kamie, in the ongoing management of our personal and professional affairs. ... Another exciting outcome is that I am strongly considering a return to competitive wrestling."
Sounds like Rulon has a lot more he'd like to do than sit at a Ranch and try to win a quarter of a million dollars. Go Rulon!
***SPOILER ALERT***
This week was Favorites Week, when favorite former contestants come to visit the Ranch. If I'm remembering right, this became an official week just last season.
Anyway, the contestants got to meet and do a workout with Ali Vincent, the first ever female Biggest Loser, and Sam Poueu, a fan favorite from a few seasons ago. They all went to the gym and did a workout together. Since it was the first week after being in New Zealand for so long, the contestants had some realizations hit. First, they've come a long way since their first circuit workout 16 weeks previously. And second, seeing the former contestants that have gone on and kept themselves in order even after their season ended seemed to put a little more fire in some bellies. One of the remaining seven people will be this season's Biggest Loser.
The third favorite to visit was Tara Costa, aka the Machine! The woman rarely lost a challenge during her season and she had some incredible people she competed against. She should've won the show, but Helen won instead. Helen, the woman who threw her own daughter under the bus, but that's just my humble opinion.
What did you think of Tara competing in the car pull challenge? At first I wanted her to win because she's an amazing competitor, but it didn't take long until I was cheering for Rulon. He never got on the Wheaties box? After all the commotion of him beating the unbeatable Russian? Crazy! I wanted him to get that. But Tara is, after all, a machine.
So we get to the weigh in.
*Sigh*
During the last chance workout Rulon made some comments about being within 15 lbs of his goal weight and not being sad about leaving. Also, he had made the comment about Sam bowing out gracefully when he was at his goal weight. Wish I could remember those circumstances a little better. Anyway, he got up on the scale, announced he was leaving the show for personal reasons, tossed around a few hugs and walked away.
And that was it.
Not even a "Where they are today" moment afterward.
What?
I highly doubt Rulon left because Tara beat him out of getting on the Wheaties box. Cara said she thought he was exhausted from always competing. Maybe. Josh and I were talking about it and I can't help but wonder if now that his physical is in order and his mental game may be exhausted, did he need to focus on the spiritual aspects again? He just spent 4 months away from any spiritual elements he always had surrounding him. There was a determination on Rulon's face as he left. "Other things to take care of." I'd like to think that his determination was to continue to better his life in every aspect and he couldn't do it there at the Ranch. Of course, this is all just my own wondering.
Then the rest of the weigh in. Irene, the touted Biggest Loser on campus, was the first woman to hit the 100 lb mark on campus. However, she still fell below the yellow line. Olivia and Hannah surprised everyone with great numbers and making the top two spots on the leaderboard. Kaylee, on the other hand, gained weight (again) and went below the line with Irene.
Anyone else not really sad to see Kaylee go? She's been yo-yoing for so long that it will be good to see some of the others make the final four. Although, she was Austin's final ally and if he goes below the yellow line at all, he'll be gone. And then I'll really be sad.
I wish Rulon the best in his journey. I hope he is able to get himself all together again.
***More on Rulon****
After I finished writing this I found this article from the Deseret News which contained this quote from Rulon:
"Once I reached my goal and started feeling like my old self, I felt compelled to return home and support my wife, Kamie, in the ongoing management of our personal and professional affairs. ... Another exciting outcome is that I am strongly considering a return to competitive wrestling."
Sounds like Rulon has a lot more he'd like to do than sit at a Ranch and try to win a quarter of a million dollars. Go Rulon!
Friday, April 22, 2011
The Biggest Loser in New Zealand, Weeks 1 and 2
Once I realized how late I was posting last week's Biggest Loser update, I figured I'd wait and just combine the two total weeks in New Zealand. So let's have at it......
New Zealand, Part 1. See it here or below.
New Zealand, Part 2. See it here or below.
***SPOILER ALERT***
There seemed to be a lot of fluff in these episodes. Maybe there was a lot less drama than usual? I'm not really sure. But both episodes highlighted a lot of extreme sports: cliff swinging, bungee jumping, and the likes. I'm not really sure what the point of showing all of that was, except for maybe the point of overcoming fears. I loved watching Bob prepare to jump off the building. I laughed so hard! And the bungee jumping with Rulon in the second week.... hello? The exact anniversary of his plane crashing into Lake Powell? Can we say, "Holy cow"? And then to see him actually hit the water was great.
So, the challenges. Week one had a 5k along the vast and rugged terrain of New Zealand. Man, that's a beautiful place. Josh and I have agreed that when we get a summer home in South Africa, we'll have to zip over to New Zealand every so often. Anyway, the sand cliffs they had to climb to get to the finish line were insane! I'd love to try that. So the Blue Team won and the girls agreed to let Moses take Kaylee on the aerial tour of the island. With the two of them having familial ties to the area, it was very nice that they got to go together.
In week two the challenge was to body board half a mile down river. Most of them figured out how to use the currents to propel them downstream. Smart. I'm afraid I would've been like Austin and floundered around behind everyone else. It still would've been pretty cool, though. Really, I think doing anything in New Zealand would be pretty darn cool. Olivia won and got immunity. Everyone began expressing their fear of Rulon. Yeah, I think he could easily win the whole thing, but I still like him and want him to succeed. There was some recurrence of victim mentality. Give me a break.
Some other highlights: Ken and Cara had it out during week one. Ken wanted Cara to give him more training and began thinking he needed the experience of Bob and Jillian. I can understand a bit. At the gym the trainers wear shirts labeled either, "Certified Personal Trainer" or "Master Trainer." I'm sure either trainer is good, but if you had your choice, who would you pick? Anyway, Cara gave Ken her full attention and he had some good results.
In week two, Brett came back. Yay! I was so happy to see him. I was happy to see everyone move to individuals and even happier to see everyone get to use any and all of the four trainers. And I was happy to see the four trainers work with each other. Finally.
Weigh ins: Week one the Blue Team fell below the yellow line. There were several people with bad numbers, all attributed to traveling. Moses ended up offering himself so Olivia could stay. Everyone but Kaylee and Rulon voted for Moses. That just fueled the fear of Rulon all the more.
Week two the individuals below the yellow line were Hannah and Ken. Ken said he wanted to stay and the vote wasn't nearly as close as it had been the previous week. With Victim Hannah rearing her head again, I would've been fine with her going home. But she stayed and Ken went home to paraglide with his kids, which is amazing considering his previous fear of heights. I would've loved to see him go to make over week. But as long as Austin makes it, I'll be happy.
New Zealand, Part 1. See it here or below.
New Zealand, Part 2. See it here or below.
***SPOILER ALERT***
There seemed to be a lot of fluff in these episodes. Maybe there was a lot less drama than usual? I'm not really sure. But both episodes highlighted a lot of extreme sports: cliff swinging, bungee jumping, and the likes. I'm not really sure what the point of showing all of that was, except for maybe the point of overcoming fears. I loved watching Bob prepare to jump off the building. I laughed so hard! And the bungee jumping with Rulon in the second week.... hello? The exact anniversary of his plane crashing into Lake Powell? Can we say, "Holy cow"? And then to see him actually hit the water was great.
So, the challenges. Week one had a 5k along the vast and rugged terrain of New Zealand. Man, that's a beautiful place. Josh and I have agreed that when we get a summer home in South Africa, we'll have to zip over to New Zealand every so often. Anyway, the sand cliffs they had to climb to get to the finish line were insane! I'd love to try that. So the Blue Team won and the girls agreed to let Moses take Kaylee on the aerial tour of the island. With the two of them having familial ties to the area, it was very nice that they got to go together.
In week two the challenge was to body board half a mile down river. Most of them figured out how to use the currents to propel them downstream. Smart. I'm afraid I would've been like Austin and floundered around behind everyone else. It still would've been pretty cool, though. Really, I think doing anything in New Zealand would be pretty darn cool. Olivia won and got immunity. Everyone began expressing their fear of Rulon. Yeah, I think he could easily win the whole thing, but I still like him and want him to succeed. There was some recurrence of victim mentality. Give me a break.
Some other highlights: Ken and Cara had it out during week one. Ken wanted Cara to give him more training and began thinking he needed the experience of Bob and Jillian. I can understand a bit. At the gym the trainers wear shirts labeled either, "Certified Personal Trainer" or "Master Trainer." I'm sure either trainer is good, but if you had your choice, who would you pick? Anyway, Cara gave Ken her full attention and he had some good results.
In week two, Brett came back. Yay! I was so happy to see him. I was happy to see everyone move to individuals and even happier to see everyone get to use any and all of the four trainers. And I was happy to see the four trainers work with each other. Finally.
Weigh ins: Week one the Blue Team fell below the yellow line. There were several people with bad numbers, all attributed to traveling. Moses ended up offering himself so Olivia could stay. Everyone but Kaylee and Rulon voted for Moses. That just fueled the fear of Rulon all the more.
Week two the individuals below the yellow line were Hannah and Ken. Ken said he wanted to stay and the vote wasn't nearly as close as it had been the previous week. With Victim Hannah rearing her head again, I would've been fine with her going home. But she stayed and Ken went home to paraglide with his kids, which is amazing considering his previous fear of heights. I would've loved to see him go to make over week. But as long as Austin makes it, I'll be happy.
Friday, April 8, 2011
This Week on the Biggest Loser
To watch this week's episode go Here or watch below.
****SPOILER ALERT****
I watched this a couple days ago but haven't had a chance to sit and write this, so I hope I remember all the good stuff.
This week started almost immediately with a challenge. The winners got a night out on the town and the three losing teams had to spring clean the ranch. The challenge was interesting. Can you feel out the distance of a mile? Each team took a different approach than what I expected. I thought it would be easy to run for the number of minutes they usually run a mile and count out 2000 steps (an approximate mile). Funny how the team that was the furthest behind and wished more than anyone else that they had run ended up scrambling at the last second and winning. The Black Team got to dress up and head out while everyone else scrubbed.
This week each team had someone/something that made them very vulnerable at the weigh in.
Blue Team: Bob's team worried this week that all of their hard work over the last several weeks was going to come back and bite them in the rump. They hadn't played any games or thrown any weigh ins and were afraid this was going to be their less-lost week. However, they won the weigh in and pulled great numbers, even though the have 2 smaller girls on their team.
Black Team: The obvious worry for the Black Team has been Rulon's recent admission of cheating on his diet. Jillian sat down with him and they talked it out. Jillian has a tendency to start the season out very rough-egded, and this season was no exception, but it's seemed to take a lot longer to like her than usual. But I like her again. To hear Rulon talk about "deserving" a treat..... it's exactly what I've told myself a million times. I'm so glad Jillian helped him learn how to incorporate his favorite higher-calorie foods into his life. I wouldn't have minded seeing a little more of that lesson. The Black Team headed out on their prize trip and Hannah finally accepted the fact that she doesn't have to be the victim. Finally. Now maybe I can like her.
Green Team: Ken got injured this week. Never a good sign. Especially when he's been so constant and dependable. But even Austin had a bad weigh in. I thought for sure they were goners. But I really want Austin to make it to Make Over Week. Really.
Red Team: Courtney was alone this week. She rallied her friends to support her and they did. Brett only had her to train and they worked hard together. Yet Courtney only lost 2 lbs, not too shy from her target for the night. I think it's a shame when anyone leaves at this point in the game. They are all working hard and I hate to see them go. But I must not have bonded with Courtney as much as the Ranch did because they were all a lot angrier than I was about Courtney's immediate departure. I was, however, very sad to see Brett go. I really hope this wasn't his last chance on the Ranch. Jillian is leaving the show, but I don't want Brett or Cara to leave too. There was at least one season when three trainers worked together on the Ranch. Maybe they'll bring that angle back.
Did I miss anything? What did you think?
****SPOILER ALERT****
I watched this a couple days ago but haven't had a chance to sit and write this, so I hope I remember all the good stuff.
This week started almost immediately with a challenge. The winners got a night out on the town and the three losing teams had to spring clean the ranch. The challenge was interesting. Can you feel out the distance of a mile? Each team took a different approach than what I expected. I thought it would be easy to run for the number of minutes they usually run a mile and count out 2000 steps (an approximate mile). Funny how the team that was the furthest behind and wished more than anyone else that they had run ended up scrambling at the last second and winning. The Black Team got to dress up and head out while everyone else scrubbed.
This week each team had someone/something that made them very vulnerable at the weigh in.
Blue Team: Bob's team worried this week that all of their hard work over the last several weeks was going to come back and bite them in the rump. They hadn't played any games or thrown any weigh ins and were afraid this was going to be their less-lost week. However, they won the weigh in and pulled great numbers, even though the have 2 smaller girls on their team.
Black Team: The obvious worry for the Black Team has been Rulon's recent admission of cheating on his diet. Jillian sat down with him and they talked it out. Jillian has a tendency to start the season out very rough-egded, and this season was no exception, but it's seemed to take a lot longer to like her than usual. But I like her again. To hear Rulon talk about "deserving" a treat..... it's exactly what I've told myself a million times. I'm so glad Jillian helped him learn how to incorporate his favorite higher-calorie foods into his life. I wouldn't have minded seeing a little more of that lesson. The Black Team headed out on their prize trip and Hannah finally accepted the fact that she doesn't have to be the victim. Finally. Now maybe I can like her.
Green Team: Ken got injured this week. Never a good sign. Especially when he's been so constant and dependable. But even Austin had a bad weigh in. I thought for sure they were goners. But I really want Austin to make it to Make Over Week. Really.
Red Team: Courtney was alone this week. She rallied her friends to support her and they did. Brett only had her to train and they worked hard together. Yet Courtney only lost 2 lbs, not too shy from her target for the night. I think it's a shame when anyone leaves at this point in the game. They are all working hard and I hate to see them go. But I must not have bonded with Courtney as much as the Ranch did because they were all a lot angrier than I was about Courtney's immediate departure. I was, however, very sad to see Brett go. I really hope this wasn't his last chance on the Ranch. Jillian is leaving the show, but I don't want Brett or Cara to leave too. There was at least one season when three trainers worked together on the Ranch. Maybe they'll bring that angle back.
Did I miss anything? What did you think?
Wednesday, March 30, 2011
This Week on the Biggest Loser
To catch this week's episode of the Biggest Loser, go Here. Or watch below.
***SPOILER ALERT***
Aristotle taught us about hamartia, or the tragic flaw. The one thing that becomes the downfall of a hero/heroine. Usually that flaw is hubris, or pride. So much hubris this week.
First, however, we were introduced to Team 12, the team that just missed coming to the ranch. They got a chance to weigh in and earn a spot on the ranch. Although they both lost a commendable amount of weight (the mom lost 45 lbs in 13 weeks, which is great!), neither of them were able to make it onto the ranch. I hope they bring them back at the finale to weigh in again. I really hope they are able to continue to lose weight and prove to themselves that they can do it.
So now we come to the pop challenge. The ball, rolly thing. It looked hard. I'm glad my immediate future didn't depend on it. The Green Team won and got a 1 minute advantage at the challenge. The Red Team, however, lost and therefore lost their stay at the ranch for the week. So, on my list of things to mention the word "Idiots" came up. Stupid idiots. Jen and Courtney were given a menu and a budget to choose their necessities/luxuries for the week. It included things like food choices, workout options, spa treatments, phone calls home, etc. Idiots. They chose to make their own food (commendable), get gym memberships (understandable), phone calls home (what?), massages (excuse me?), and a night at a restaurant (WTH?). The idea was, "It's week 13, we should know what to do by now." Yes, you've learned a lot. But you've also got years of bad habits, choices and temptations to continue to overcome. They had the chance to "buy" their trainer Brett, but opted not to. If they had kept their food option and gym memberships they would've been able to afford two days with Brett. But no, they thought they needed to pamper themselves. Idiots. Courtney totally should've stood up for herself and gotten Brett for at least one day.
On to the challenge. Easter egg hunting. I love movies. But I think I wouldn't have minded losing this challenge and missing out on going to the world premiere of the movie Hop. But the intrigue of the golden egg was enough to keep it going. Unfortunately, the egg resulted in Olivia having the only vote for the weigh in. A bitter-sweet prize. I wouldn't have wanted it.
In the gym we saw Bob and Jillian tag teaming a bit. Moses asked Jillian if he could box and Jillian helped him realize that he just did something for himself. I like Moses. Bob helped Rulon gain some confidence. Just a side note: Bob always reminds me a little bit of Corey Larsen. And then he wore his jaunty hat. Made me miss my friend. Anyway....
Finally the weigh in came and we finally got to see what all the previews were about. All this talk of Rulon sneaking food. I was expecting him being the goose egg. But first the Blue Team weighed in with a good effort. Again, I like Moses. Irene seems to fly under the radar a lot. We don't know much about her, she rarely makes comments, she doesn't win a lot but she doesn't lose a lot, they didn't even show her video chat with her family the other week. I'd like to get to know her soon.
The Green Team stepped up and proved a much better week than last week. Cara beat the crap out of them this week. I like Cara too. Although her deer-in-the-headlights look always makes me roll my eyes a little.
Next was the Black Team and their sluggish efforts. Jay had a decent weigh in, but has lost some steam. Then Hannah lost nothing. Throw weigh ins much? Then Rulon lost 5 lbs. And the truth came out that he's been off his diet. The previews made it out so much worse than it was. Yes, it's horrible that he's sabotaging himself by neglecting his food plan. He's got some hubris starting to shine through. But I was so glad that he still lost weight and that he admitted his troubles. I can't count how many times I've messed myself up too. I just really, really, really hope he gets fixed by next week.
The Red Team. Any surprises here? The hubris kicked in and kicked Jen out. Between the two of them they only had to lose 6 lbs but Jen's attitude of using the time away from the ranch as a break away from the ranch and Courtney's not wanting to rock the boat got them in the end.
I hope they all step it up next week. One bad week is fine, but now they've got to turn it all around.
***SPOILER ALERT***
Aristotle taught us about hamartia, or the tragic flaw. The one thing that becomes the downfall of a hero/heroine. Usually that flaw is hubris, or pride. So much hubris this week.
First, however, we were introduced to Team 12, the team that just missed coming to the ranch. They got a chance to weigh in and earn a spot on the ranch. Although they both lost a commendable amount of weight (the mom lost 45 lbs in 13 weeks, which is great!), neither of them were able to make it onto the ranch. I hope they bring them back at the finale to weigh in again. I really hope they are able to continue to lose weight and prove to themselves that they can do it.
So now we come to the pop challenge. The ball, rolly thing. It looked hard. I'm glad my immediate future didn't depend on it. The Green Team won and got a 1 minute advantage at the challenge. The Red Team, however, lost and therefore lost their stay at the ranch for the week. So, on my list of things to mention the word "Idiots" came up. Stupid idiots. Jen and Courtney were given a menu and a budget to choose their necessities/luxuries for the week. It included things like food choices, workout options, spa treatments, phone calls home, etc. Idiots. They chose to make their own food (commendable), get gym memberships (understandable), phone calls home (what?), massages (excuse me?), and a night at a restaurant (WTH?). The idea was, "It's week 13, we should know what to do by now." Yes, you've learned a lot. But you've also got years of bad habits, choices and temptations to continue to overcome. They had the chance to "buy" their trainer Brett, but opted not to. If they had kept their food option and gym memberships they would've been able to afford two days with Brett. But no, they thought they needed to pamper themselves. Idiots. Courtney totally should've stood up for herself and gotten Brett for at least one day.
On to the challenge. Easter egg hunting. I love movies. But I think I wouldn't have minded losing this challenge and missing out on going to the world premiere of the movie Hop. But the intrigue of the golden egg was enough to keep it going. Unfortunately, the egg resulted in Olivia having the only vote for the weigh in. A bitter-sweet prize. I wouldn't have wanted it.
In the gym we saw Bob and Jillian tag teaming a bit. Moses asked Jillian if he could box and Jillian helped him realize that he just did something for himself. I like Moses. Bob helped Rulon gain some confidence. Just a side note: Bob always reminds me a little bit of Corey Larsen. And then he wore his jaunty hat. Made me miss my friend. Anyway....
Finally the weigh in came and we finally got to see what all the previews were about. All this talk of Rulon sneaking food. I was expecting him being the goose egg. But first the Blue Team weighed in with a good effort. Again, I like Moses. Irene seems to fly under the radar a lot. We don't know much about her, she rarely makes comments, she doesn't win a lot but she doesn't lose a lot, they didn't even show her video chat with her family the other week. I'd like to get to know her soon.
The Green Team stepped up and proved a much better week than last week. Cara beat the crap out of them this week. I like Cara too. Although her deer-in-the-headlights look always makes me roll my eyes a little.
Next was the Black Team and their sluggish efforts. Jay had a decent weigh in, but has lost some steam. Then Hannah lost nothing. Throw weigh ins much? Then Rulon lost 5 lbs. And the truth came out that he's been off his diet. The previews made it out so much worse than it was. Yes, it's horrible that he's sabotaging himself by neglecting his food plan. He's got some hubris starting to shine through. But I was so glad that he still lost weight and that he admitted his troubles. I can't count how many times I've messed myself up too. I just really, really, really hope he gets fixed by next week.
The Red Team. Any surprises here? The hubris kicked in and kicked Jen out. Between the two of them they only had to lose 6 lbs but Jen's attitude of using the time away from the ranch as a break away from the ranch and Courtney's not wanting to rock the boat got them in the end.
I hope they all step it up next week. One bad week is fine, but now they've got to turn it all around.
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
This Week on the Biggest Loser
For this week's episode, go Here or watch below:
***SPOILER ALERT***
My eyes began watering in the episode and they kept watering on and off throughout. I think there were several moments of realization throughout the week. Unfortunately, there was a lot drama at the weigh in that overshadowed a lot of that.
First the one team was split into four teams: Green (Cara), Red (Brett), Black (Jillian), and Blue (Bob). I was expecting a temptation for power so one person could decide everyone's fate. But I actually liked that it was random. The teams seemed pretty well matched. Not much of a chance for any "but we're the weaker link" whining. The Black Team came up a person short and were given the task of choosing their teammate from the eliminated players.
Each team was taken off of the ranch and got a workout somewhere else. Bob took his team to a gym (I missed if it was chosen for a specific reason) and ran a spinnng class. Jillian invited her team to her beach house. Brett took his team out to a field. That sounds worse than it actually was. And Cara took her team to a boxing gym. My eyes watered a bit over Rulon's admissions to Jillian. I think it's not uncommon for people to feel unworthy of their spouse. I got teary over Justin's self-realization. Sort of the same thing Crisanne wrote about two posts before this.
The challenge of holding the weights over their heads..... that looked tough. I'd rather have the mud or sand. I did like the whole fire thing. That made it look rebelliously cool. And it was here that we learned that the Black Team chose Jay as their third member. The main choices seemed to be either Jay or Arthur. I, personally, was glad to see Jay. Arthur could've used more help from the ranch, but Jay was a more worthy competitor. The Red Team won, but gave their prize (video chats with family) to the Blue Team, who had come in second. It was nice of them to do.
The video chats were touching. Watching Olivia's husband get emotional was enough to start some waterworks again. And then Moses. I love his wife. She said just what I hope I would have. It's no wonder Moses has been so focused so far.
So let's get to the drama. Jay weighed in well. Was he the biggest loser of the night? He might have been. Some other people had a good night. Others struggled. Then we got to the Green Team and Kaylee was confident in her plan to throw the weigh in. She wanted to go home, as in she wanted to be the next person gone. She lost nothing. Austin lost 3 lbs and Ken lost the exact amount he needed to to save the team. What the heck was going on here? Kaylee wanted to be voted off. That way she would be the only one to go. Ken didn't want to throw the weigh in. Kaylee was told she could leave if she wanted to, but if she did someone on the Red Team would still be voted off. It was like butting heads all over the place. And what was with Brett telling Ken that what goes around comes around? Contradicting expectations were everywhere.
The worst part was that Courtney and Justin were put up on the chopping block. I'm not surprised that Justin encouraged everyone to keep Courtney (she has lost 201 lbs, holy smokes!) but I'm shocked that the vote came between the two of them. I'm always glad when they show the "Where are they now" segment at the end because you can usually see that the people are fine, because the shock of the vote is so sad. But I did hope to see Justin during Make Over Week. I'll just keep looking forward to seeing Austin during that week.
I made the mistake of watching the preview for next week. If you like to wait and be surprised then I won't say any details. But it does look like morale is slipping all over the place. That doesn't bode well for the long term goals of losing and maintaining weight.
What did you think?
***SPOILER ALERT***
My eyes began watering in the episode and they kept watering on and off throughout. I think there were several moments of realization throughout the week. Unfortunately, there was a lot drama at the weigh in that overshadowed a lot of that.
First the one team was split into four teams: Green (Cara), Red (Brett), Black (Jillian), and Blue (Bob). I was expecting a temptation for power so one person could decide everyone's fate. But I actually liked that it was random. The teams seemed pretty well matched. Not much of a chance for any "but we're the weaker link" whining. The Black Team came up a person short and were given the task of choosing their teammate from the eliminated players.
Each team was taken off of the ranch and got a workout somewhere else. Bob took his team to a gym (I missed if it was chosen for a specific reason) and ran a spinnng class. Jillian invited her team to her beach house. Brett took his team out to a field. That sounds worse than it actually was. And Cara took her team to a boxing gym. My eyes watered a bit over Rulon's admissions to Jillian. I think it's not uncommon for people to feel unworthy of their spouse. I got teary over Justin's self-realization. Sort of the same thing Crisanne wrote about two posts before this.
The challenge of holding the weights over their heads..... that looked tough. I'd rather have the mud or sand. I did like the whole fire thing. That made it look rebelliously cool. And it was here that we learned that the Black Team chose Jay as their third member. The main choices seemed to be either Jay or Arthur. I, personally, was glad to see Jay. Arthur could've used more help from the ranch, but Jay was a more worthy competitor. The Red Team won, but gave their prize (video chats with family) to the Blue Team, who had come in second. It was nice of them to do.
The video chats were touching. Watching Olivia's husband get emotional was enough to start some waterworks again. And then Moses. I love his wife. She said just what I hope I would have. It's no wonder Moses has been so focused so far.
So let's get to the drama. Jay weighed in well. Was he the biggest loser of the night? He might have been. Some other people had a good night. Others struggled. Then we got to the Green Team and Kaylee was confident in her plan to throw the weigh in. She wanted to go home, as in she wanted to be the next person gone. She lost nothing. Austin lost 3 lbs and Ken lost the exact amount he needed to to save the team. What the heck was going on here? Kaylee wanted to be voted off. That way she would be the only one to go. Ken didn't want to throw the weigh in. Kaylee was told she could leave if she wanted to, but if she did someone on the Red Team would still be voted off. It was like butting heads all over the place. And what was with Brett telling Ken that what goes around comes around? Contradicting expectations were everywhere.
The worst part was that Courtney and Justin were put up on the chopping block. I'm not surprised that Justin encouraged everyone to keep Courtney (she has lost 201 lbs, holy smokes!) but I'm shocked that the vote came between the two of them. I'm always glad when they show the "Where are they now" segment at the end because you can usually see that the people are fine, because the shock of the vote is so sad. But I did hope to see Justin during Make Over Week. I'll just keep looking forward to seeing Austin during that week.
I made the mistake of watching the preview for next week. If you like to wait and be surprised then I won't say any details. But it does look like morale is slipping all over the place. That doesn't bode well for the long term goals of losing and maintaining weight.
What did you think?
Saturday, March 19, 2011
This Week on the Biggest Loser
In case you missed Tuesday's episode of Biggest Loser, click Here. Or watch it below.
***SPOILER ALERT***
This week we saw a new/old twist. Once before this season we've seen the possibility of no elimination if a certain weight goal was reached. But this time, everyone was put on the same team: the Blue Team. The total amount to beat: 64 lbs.
Anyone else kind of confused by this? When I watch twists like this, I can't help but wonder about the motivation of the producers. Was this challenge created to encourage unity and support within the house or was it to create tension and strengthen the animosity between Red and Black?
I would really hope that it's the first. But the Red vs Black mentality still lingered. I think everyone was guarded since no one ever knows what's going to happen next week.
The cooking challenge was fun. I thought it was good to mix up the couples teamed together. But, again, I wondered if the motive was unity or fueling the rivalry. Luckily, everyone was nice and helpful. Really, throughout the week everyone was nice and helpful, but there was always that sense of them vs us. Anyway, Curtis Stone and Lorena Garcia showed up as guest judges and voted Moses and Olivia as the winners with Baked Cod with Asparagus. Click the link for that and the other recipes as well.
The challenge consisted of following and pulling ropes out of sand. I thought it looked so fun. Last week a challenge in the mud, this week one in the sand. Makes me miss the good old days of Mud Olympics in high school and playing sand volleyball with drunk airmen at the military base family days. What? Not everyone did that one? Well, it was fun. The team had to complete the challenge within an hour and a half in order to gain a 5 lb advantage at the weigh in. However, if even one person was left behind the finish line, the entire team would be given a 5 lb disadvantage. Could they have come any closer to losing it? They finished with 6 second to spare. Holy cow. So that brought the total weight to lose down to 59 lbs.
During the week we saw the trainers taking on the players they hadn't worked with yet. Anyone else a bit annoyed with the whole attitude of "Jillian and Bob are the only good trainers"? But, I did love seeing Bob take Rulon under his wing. I do love Bob. And to have him and Rulon have a chance to work together was fun to see. And I loved watching Cara take on the girls. I think it would be amazing to train with Cara. I can't handle people touching my head. It's something that I've come to learn and accept about myself. So I can't imagine someone punching me there. But the rest of it seems like it would be fun and I like kickboxing on the videos I have.
And then the weigh in. No one had huge numbers, but nearly everyone had a decent week. I'd kill to lose 4 or 5 lbs in a week and have it not be a fluke. But everyone was upset because they needed an average of 5 lbs per person and weren't quite getting there. Rulon, Ken and Austin all struck a 7 lb loss a piece. Finally it got to the smaller women. Marci went up and pulled a 0. No real surprise. Earlier in the episode Dr H told Marci that she's at her ideal weight and now needs to learn to maintain. But Kaylee hit a 2+. She's swung from little weeks to big ones. I'm glad the trainers want to help her learn balance. Send some of that lesson my way, please.
In the end, the goal was not met. And in true After School Special form, Marci graciously bowed out and sacrificed herself for the good of the "kids." I really, really wish she had done it because she's reached her goal, though. But, everyone was crying over her leaving. I'm sure there's more to the story than what we know and see. It's probably different when you spend 24/7 with the same people for weeks at a time. But it just seemed to be the same martyr/parent thing yet again. Maybe with Marci gone it will be easier for Moses to be a good example of how to be a loving, supportive parent.
So it's so long, Marci. I do hope you're able to maintain your weight. But I can't say I'll miss you.
***SPOILER ALERT***
This week we saw a new/old twist. Once before this season we've seen the possibility of no elimination if a certain weight goal was reached. But this time, everyone was put on the same team: the Blue Team. The total amount to beat: 64 lbs.
Anyone else kind of confused by this? When I watch twists like this, I can't help but wonder about the motivation of the producers. Was this challenge created to encourage unity and support within the house or was it to create tension and strengthen the animosity between Red and Black?
I would really hope that it's the first. But the Red vs Black mentality still lingered. I think everyone was guarded since no one ever knows what's going to happen next week.
The cooking challenge was fun. I thought it was good to mix up the couples teamed together. But, again, I wondered if the motive was unity or fueling the rivalry. Luckily, everyone was nice and helpful. Really, throughout the week everyone was nice and helpful, but there was always that sense of them vs us. Anyway, Curtis Stone and Lorena Garcia showed up as guest judges and voted Moses and Olivia as the winners with Baked Cod with Asparagus. Click the link for that and the other recipes as well.
The challenge consisted of following and pulling ropes out of sand. I thought it looked so fun. Last week a challenge in the mud, this week one in the sand. Makes me miss the good old days of Mud Olympics in high school and playing sand volleyball with drunk airmen at the military base family days. What? Not everyone did that one? Well, it was fun. The team had to complete the challenge within an hour and a half in order to gain a 5 lb advantage at the weigh in. However, if even one person was left behind the finish line, the entire team would be given a 5 lb disadvantage. Could they have come any closer to losing it? They finished with 6 second to spare. Holy cow. So that brought the total weight to lose down to 59 lbs.
During the week we saw the trainers taking on the players they hadn't worked with yet. Anyone else a bit annoyed with the whole attitude of "Jillian and Bob are the only good trainers"? But, I did love seeing Bob take Rulon under his wing. I do love Bob. And to have him and Rulon have a chance to work together was fun to see. And I loved watching Cara take on the girls. I think it would be amazing to train with Cara. I can't handle people touching my head. It's something that I've come to learn and accept about myself. So I can't imagine someone punching me there. But the rest of it seems like it would be fun and I like kickboxing on the videos I have.
And then the weigh in. No one had huge numbers, but nearly everyone had a decent week. I'd kill to lose 4 or 5 lbs in a week and have it not be a fluke. But everyone was upset because they needed an average of 5 lbs per person and weren't quite getting there. Rulon, Ken and Austin all struck a 7 lb loss a piece. Finally it got to the smaller women. Marci went up and pulled a 0. No real surprise. Earlier in the episode Dr H told Marci that she's at her ideal weight and now needs to learn to maintain. But Kaylee hit a 2+. She's swung from little weeks to big ones. I'm glad the trainers want to help her learn balance. Send some of that lesson my way, please.
In the end, the goal was not met. And in true After School Special form, Marci graciously bowed out and sacrificed herself for the good of the "kids." I really, really wish she had done it because she's reached her goal, though. But, everyone was crying over her leaving. I'm sure there's more to the story than what we know and see. It's probably different when you spend 24/7 with the same people for weeks at a time. But it just seemed to be the same martyr/parent thing yet again. Maybe with Marci gone it will be easier for Moses to be a good example of how to be a loving, supportive parent.
So it's so long, Marci. I do hope you're able to maintain your weight. But I can't say I'll miss you.
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
Last Week on the Biggest Loser
To see the episode from last week, go Here or watch below.
***SPOILER ALERT***
This last week the alliances reared in full force. It seems that the alliances this season are greater in magnitude than in the past. Before there have been three, maybe four, people in cahoots with each other. Now it's as many as 6 at a time. That's a huge alliance. And it's proven to be the only way to keep people safe or ensure their demise.
So this week saw captains coming into play. It was no surprise to see Justin take the captain role on the Red Team. He continually stepped up to challenge or encourage everyone throughout the season so far. But I wasn't all that thrilled with the idea of Marci as the captain for the Black Team. Her leadership skills depend on martyrdom and parental guilt. She's the captain by default because all of the other parents (and the Black
Team depends on parents to keep the "kids" alive) have already sacrificed themselves. Maybe I'm still bitter from a few weeks ago when the parents all bullied Jesse into sacrificing himself and then they threw the weigh in so they could self sacrifice rather than work really hard to beat the Red Team. That still irks me and it still bugs me that they've been allowed to have this mentality for so long. Um, Bob, Jill, need you guys to see what's going on and slap your team around a bit until they realize that they're just setting themselves up for failure at home.
The challenge looked like fun. Playing in the mud is always a great way to spend time. I don't blame Courtney for being upset that she had to sit it out. Where was Marci's brain on that one? If poor Ken hadn't struggled so much on the other team, it would've been very obvious that Courtney should've played. But, as usual, I groaned when the Red Team didn't win.
What about the challenge of one cook per team? I thought it was hilarious that Olivia (or was it Hannah?) thought she understood now how the "mothers of America" feel. That still makes me chuckle. A) She had no children crawling all over her as she prepped and cooked. B) She had no husband wanting her attention. C) She got to put a spin bike in the kitchen (not all of us have equipment at home). And D) She had no housework, bills, job, cleaning, or kid pick up/drop off to do as well. Maybe she got a glimpse of one aspect of mothers trying to lose weight, but it was limited. I think her 2 lbs lost is very decent for missing so much time in the gym and it makes those little victories at home that much more obvious.
So the weigh in. The Red Team finally got some good numbers in. Remember at the beginning of the season how they absolutely dominated? That over-abundant weight loss isn't going to happen for them anymore because their bodies are getting fit again. But to see higher numbers was a nice change.
The Black Team struggled. They had great numbers the previous week, so it's really no surprise. But here's where the alliances came back into play. Marci couldn't sacrifice herself like she'd ignorantly hoped. I called it from the moment she stepped on the scale. You can't be her size, lose five pounds, and then be shocked that you're the biggest loser of the week. But the alliance got rid of Sarah because she wasn't originally one of theirs. In my opinion, it was just as sad to see her go as it was Arthur. She needed to stay and continue to build her confidence and muscle strength. The girl lost most of her muscles after a car accident that left her unable to walk. She was doing well, she took the chance of doing something different by going to the Black Team, and ultimately the alliance kicked her out. If the Black Team complains one more time about the Red Team sending someone home who was not "one of their own" I think I'll barf.
What did you think?
***SPOILER ALERT***
This last week the alliances reared in full force. It seems that the alliances this season are greater in magnitude than in the past. Before there have been three, maybe four, people in cahoots with each other. Now it's as many as 6 at a time. That's a huge alliance. And it's proven to be the only way to keep people safe or ensure their demise.
So this week saw captains coming into play. It was no surprise to see Justin take the captain role on the Red Team. He continually stepped up to challenge or encourage everyone throughout the season so far. But I wasn't all that thrilled with the idea of Marci as the captain for the Black Team. Her leadership skills depend on martyrdom and parental guilt. She's the captain by default because all of the other parents (and the Black
Team depends on parents to keep the "kids" alive) have already sacrificed themselves. Maybe I'm still bitter from a few weeks ago when the parents all bullied Jesse into sacrificing himself and then they threw the weigh in so they could self sacrifice rather than work really hard to beat the Red Team. That still irks me and it still bugs me that they've been allowed to have this mentality for so long. Um, Bob, Jill, need you guys to see what's going on and slap your team around a bit until they realize that they're just setting themselves up for failure at home.
The challenge looked like fun. Playing in the mud is always a great way to spend time. I don't blame Courtney for being upset that she had to sit it out. Where was Marci's brain on that one? If poor Ken hadn't struggled so much on the other team, it would've been very obvious that Courtney should've played. But, as usual, I groaned when the Red Team didn't win.
What about the challenge of one cook per team? I thought it was hilarious that Olivia (or was it Hannah?) thought she understood now how the "mothers of America" feel. That still makes me chuckle. A) She had no children crawling all over her as she prepped and cooked. B) She had no husband wanting her attention. C) She got to put a spin bike in the kitchen (not all of us have equipment at home). And D) She had no housework, bills, job, cleaning, or kid pick up/drop off to do as well. Maybe she got a glimpse of one aspect of mothers trying to lose weight, but it was limited. I think her 2 lbs lost is very decent for missing so much time in the gym and it makes those little victories at home that much more obvious.
So the weigh in. The Red Team finally got some good numbers in. Remember at the beginning of the season how they absolutely dominated? That over-abundant weight loss isn't going to happen for them anymore because their bodies are getting fit again. But to see higher numbers was a nice change.
The Black Team struggled. They had great numbers the previous week, so it's really no surprise. But here's where the alliances came back into play. Marci couldn't sacrifice herself like she'd ignorantly hoped. I called it from the moment she stepped on the scale. You can't be her size, lose five pounds, and then be shocked that you're the biggest loser of the week. But the alliance got rid of Sarah because she wasn't originally one of theirs. In my opinion, it was just as sad to see her go as it was Arthur. She needed to stay and continue to build her confidence and muscle strength. The girl lost most of her muscles after a car accident that left her unable to walk. She was doing well, she took the chance of doing something different by going to the Black Team, and ultimately the alliance kicked her out. If the Black Team complains one more time about the Red Team sending someone home who was not "one of their own" I think I'll barf.
What did you think?
Monday, March 7, 2011
Last Week on the Biggest Loser
How late is this? Way? Should I even bother posting this? Yes? Okay, if you insist.
To see last week's episode, go Here or watch below.
***SPOILER ALERT***
The contestants went home for two weeks. This is always risky. Some people rocked it. Some didn't.
The challenge, which was basically the last chance workout, was to replicate what the first challenge was: going 5k. This time the challenge was done individually. And then the reward was picking which team you wanted to be on.
Here's the conundrum. Arthur came in last and became the odd man out on the Red Team. And even though he's still hundreds of pounds from his goal weight, he was voted off. The Black Team blew away the weigh in. They were amazing. And Arthur, because of loyalties and alliances, was voted to go home.
Did the Red Team make the right choice? Or did they let the game get to them? I originally thought I'd have voted for Kaylee. She's been incredible and she's very close to her goal weight. And she only lost 1 lb in 2 weeks. But once they sat around the table, you could feel the tension through the TV. I really don't know what I would have done. On a show like this, when do you begin game-mode?
To see last week's episode, go Here or watch below.
***SPOILER ALERT***
The contestants went home for two weeks. This is always risky. Some people rocked it. Some didn't.
The challenge, which was basically the last chance workout, was to replicate what the first challenge was: going 5k. This time the challenge was done individually. And then the reward was picking which team you wanted to be on.
Here's the conundrum. Arthur came in last and became the odd man out on the Red Team. And even though he's still hundreds of pounds from his goal weight, he was voted off. The Black Team blew away the weigh in. They were amazing. And Arthur, because of loyalties and alliances, was voted to go home.
Did the Red Team make the right choice? Or did they let the game get to them? I originally thought I'd have voted for Kaylee. She's been incredible and she's very close to her goal weight. And she only lost 1 lb in 2 weeks. But once they sat around the table, you could feel the tension through the TV. I really don't know what I would have done. On a show like this, when do you begin game-mode?
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
This Week on the Biggest Loser
To find this week's episode of the Biggest Loser, go Here or watch it below.
***SPOILER ALERT***
There's a big issue that came up this week, but first I want to cover some of the more trivial items.
First, any time MMA or Randy Couture are mentioned, our house is automatically filled with endorphins. Josh doesn't watch very many sports, but he does enjoy UFC every once in a while. In case you didn't know, the UFC (Ultimate Fighter Championship) is a fighting competition between two competitors at a time and uses Mixed Martial Arts (MMA). So from the get go of this episode, I already liked what was happening. And for Rulon to get a chance to catch up with his trainer for a few minutes was really good to see. I loved watching the Red Team just absolutely kick butt in the training center and loved that they "went back to basics" as one of them said. It was good to do, even though a few of them ended up struggling in the weigh in.
Second, the challenge looked like it would've been fun. Josh said it would be a great YM/YW mutual activity. And once the Red Team got their mojo, they rocked it. A 3 lb advantage seemed to be an incredible prize.... Until the Black Team threw the weigh in.
Third, Cara's willingness to get into the ring to box with Kaylee impressed me. How often do trainers seem to sit to the side and allow the trainee to do all the work while they stand there and tell them what to do? Often, it seems. Cara laced up her gloves and challenged Kaylee to a match. And she didn't hold a lot back. She willingly took several hard punches and allowed Kaylee to learn to literally "fight back." It gave us a new side of Cara. I like her.
So here's the big issue of the episode: Did the parents on the Black Team do the right thing?
They started out with the Team meeting where their codependency became painfully obvious: If I love you, I'll sacrifice myself for you. If it's not obvious, I'll just let you know that I hated this meeting, its purpose and its outcome. Honestly, the parents thought that they needed to take themselves out to save the "kids." Really? Really?? Not only did they jeopardize themselves, but they jeopardized their entire team.
I think Moses hit the nail on the head when he said that they weren't doing the kids any favors by doing that. The better approach was to teach their child to survive and fight back. He and Kaylee had an incredible week. Not because they let someone else take their licks -- and Kaylee's fight with Cara proved she could take her own licks -- but because they came together, pushed through the pain and non-morning-person-ness, and worked hard.
By the end of the episode everyone was emotional, some because they had been "saved" and some because they were just relieved. But where's the accountability? Isn't that why most of us struggle with our weight and other goals? Because we've let ourselves off the hook too many times?
What did you think of that?
***SPOILER ALERT***
There's a big issue that came up this week, but first I want to cover some of the more trivial items.
First, any time MMA or Randy Couture are mentioned, our house is automatically filled with endorphins. Josh doesn't watch very many sports, but he does enjoy UFC every once in a while. In case you didn't know, the UFC (Ultimate Fighter Championship) is a fighting competition between two competitors at a time and uses Mixed Martial Arts (MMA). So from the get go of this episode, I already liked what was happening. And for Rulon to get a chance to catch up with his trainer for a few minutes was really good to see. I loved watching the Red Team just absolutely kick butt in the training center and loved that they "went back to basics" as one of them said. It was good to do, even though a few of them ended up struggling in the weigh in.
Second, the challenge looked like it would've been fun. Josh said it would be a great YM/YW mutual activity. And once the Red Team got their mojo, they rocked it. A 3 lb advantage seemed to be an incredible prize.... Until the Black Team threw the weigh in.
Third, Cara's willingness to get into the ring to box with Kaylee impressed me. How often do trainers seem to sit to the side and allow the trainee to do all the work while they stand there and tell them what to do? Often, it seems. Cara laced up her gloves and challenged Kaylee to a match. And she didn't hold a lot back. She willingly took several hard punches and allowed Kaylee to learn to literally "fight back." It gave us a new side of Cara. I like her.
So here's the big issue of the episode: Did the parents on the Black Team do the right thing?
They started out with the Team meeting where their codependency became painfully obvious: If I love you, I'll sacrifice myself for you. If it's not obvious, I'll just let you know that I hated this meeting, its purpose and its outcome. Honestly, the parents thought that they needed to take themselves out to save the "kids." Really? Really?? Not only did they jeopardize themselves, but they jeopardized their entire team.
I think Moses hit the nail on the head when he said that they weren't doing the kids any favors by doing that. The better approach was to teach their child to survive and fight back. He and Kaylee had an incredible week. Not because they let someone else take their licks -- and Kaylee's fight with Cara proved she could take her own licks -- but because they came together, pushed through the pain and non-morning-person-ness, and worked hard.
By the end of the episode everyone was emotional, some because they had been "saved" and some because they were just relieved. But where's the accountability? Isn't that why most of us struggle with our weight and other goals? Because we've let ourselves off the hook too many times?
What did you think of that?
Thursday, February 17, 2011
This Week on the Biggest Loser
In case you missed Tuesday's episode of the Biggest Loser, catch it Here or watch it below:
***SPOILER ALERT***
This week's episode was one of the lesser active. There was a lot less drama than there has been, thus creating a lot less controversy to cover.
We started with the pop challenge for use of the gym. What do you think? Is the gym necessary? I thought the challenge was a fun one. One that we would've done as a synergy exercise in our Seminary class in high school. And I loved the the Red Team was led by an Eagle Scout.
The main challenge was won by sheer brute strength. It's possible that the Red Team could've gotten more questions correct if they'd had more time to think, I believe. However, I also believe that the Red Team is at a disadvantage in the food department. They had so many weeks of no hands-on training. The Black Team is absolutely ahead of the game in that department.
I was happy to see Rulon have the beginning of his breakthrough. Josh made a comment that I agree with. He said that he doesn't think the new trainers get to the emotional heart of the matter with the contestants like Bob and Jillian do. So to see him struggle at the beginning of the week and then find his inner-strength at the weigh in was a relief.
About the weigh in: was choosing to sit out Irene a good decision? Obviously, in hindsight, the better decision would've been Arthur. I thought they'd choose Courtney.
But what about the Black Team and the notion that they are the underdogs? Not all of them believe it, but there's enough whining that it's annoying. They haven't lost a single player since the Unknowns returned to the ranch. They are killing at the scale. Can they even qualify as underdogs? I'm thinking.... no.
To see Jay go was sad. Especially since he works so hard and had a good number on the scale. Is it a wise decision for the Red Team to stay loyal to the original members or should they be picking off the smaller people now?
Here's hoping they don't have to make that decision next week.
***SPOILER ALERT***
This week's episode was one of the lesser active. There was a lot less drama than there has been, thus creating a lot less controversy to cover.
We started with the pop challenge for use of the gym. What do you think? Is the gym necessary? I thought the challenge was a fun one. One that we would've done as a synergy exercise in our Seminary class in high school. And I loved the the Red Team was led by an Eagle Scout.
The main challenge was won by sheer brute strength. It's possible that the Red Team could've gotten more questions correct if they'd had more time to think, I believe. However, I also believe that the Red Team is at a disadvantage in the food department. They had so many weeks of no hands-on training. The Black Team is absolutely ahead of the game in that department.
I was happy to see Rulon have the beginning of his breakthrough. Josh made a comment that I agree with. He said that he doesn't think the new trainers get to the emotional heart of the matter with the contestants like Bob and Jillian do. So to see him struggle at the beginning of the week and then find his inner-strength at the weigh in was a relief.
About the weigh in: was choosing to sit out Irene a good decision? Obviously, in hindsight, the better decision would've been Arthur. I thought they'd choose Courtney.
But what about the Black Team and the notion that they are the underdogs? Not all of them believe it, but there's enough whining that it's annoying. They haven't lost a single player since the Unknowns returned to the ranch. They are killing at the scale. Can they even qualify as underdogs? I'm thinking.... no.
To see Jay go was sad. Especially since he works so hard and had a good number on the scale. Is it a wise decision for the Red Team to stay loyal to the original members or should they be picking off the smaller people now?
Here's hoping they don't have to make that decision next week.
Thursday, February 10, 2011
Two Nights Ago on the Biggest Loser
I finally got to watch this week's Biggest Loser last night at about 11:00. I hope I can remember everything about it. For the latest episode, go Here or watch it below:
***SPOILER ALERT***
So this episode started out with what everyone has been waiting for: the official contest between the two teams. Red vs Black.... the Unknowns vs the Ranch. Now it's the usual competition: whoever has the lowest overall percentage goes to the elimination and votes off on of their teammates.
And the game began immediately with the Valentines chocolate temptation. Since I was craving chocolate last night, I realized that this temptation could easily be my downfall. But because I like chocolate not power. I always applaud those that resist the temptations, mostly because it seems they have their bearings straight. And those that win are often the ones that need the most help. This week was no exception. Of course, I wasn't surprised to see Q eat. He's been struggling from the beginning. Josh and I both screamed at the TV when Rulon ate. But the two of them combined didn't eat even a third of the number that Arthur ended up eating.
So the winner of this challenge was to remain anonymous as they chose if they'd leave the teams alone or if they'd trade two members of their team for two from the other. The trade was made: Jay and Jen (the former Green Team) on the Black Team were traded for Deni and Sarah on the Red. Because we didn't see everyone go in to the temptation, it was possible that someone could've eaten more than Arthur's 35 pieces. But Arthur felt the need to explain his decision as to why he traded the two strongest players from his own team for the two smallest members of the Red team.
Arthur's mind isn't in the game yet. He decided to get rid of a guy he doesn't trust (and why should he when he was the one that sent the Green Team to the Unknowns a few weeks ago and they weren't very happy about that) and bring over people that no one on their team has any loyalty for so they'd be voted off instead of him or his dad.
So what do you think of all of this? Did Arthur do the right thing? Was he acting out of desperation? Do you think you would've tried to best the temptation or taken handfuls? I told Josh I would've had to sit in the doorway in the fetal position to avoid eating just for the sake of eating chocolate\\=
-
The heat began when the two teams had to share the gym. And all the trainers were in the same room at last. There goes my duality theory. Darn. I was really hoping for something theatrical. Oh well.
What do you think of the Red Team's extremely loud work outs? Was the Black Team justified in whining about it? Of course, I'll let you know what I think. No. They weren't. Have they never seen the show? I know that as a tv audience we don't get a real account of what really happens, but when Bob and Jillian have been head to head the gym seems to get pretty rowdy at times. I appreciated Bob and Jillian telling their team to focus. We are in charge of our own bodies. And I do think the Red Team pushed it a bit, but only a bit.
The Challenge: I hoped the Red Team would win, of course, but it's always a good thing for the contestants to get contact from home. Can you believe that Deni and Sarah missed a family wedding? The mother of the bride didn't get to be there. Crazy! I don't know that I could've made that sacrifice. And I'm pretty sure I would've been stumped on the calories challenge too.
The Weigh In: Who would've thought that the Black Team would've gotten so many huge numbers? I was shocked. Their defeatist attitudes bug me, but they did really well this week between the challenge and the weigh in. And seeing Q leave was no surprise. He never did seem to quite commit himself to the cause.
But as I watched all those double digits hit the scale, I had a bit of a revelation. The women who are approaching or in the 100s may only be losing about 5 lbs a week on the Ranch. Really, how much better is that than the 2 lbs I lost at home this week? It's a 3 lb difference, but nearly the same percentage lost. So maybe only losing a pound or two at home is really a good thing and nearly as commendable as a BL contestant.
What did you think this week?
***SPOILER ALERT***
So this episode started out with what everyone has been waiting for: the official contest between the two teams. Red vs Black.... the Unknowns vs the Ranch. Now it's the usual competition: whoever has the lowest overall percentage goes to the elimination and votes off on of their teammates.
And the game began immediately with the Valentines chocolate temptation. Since I was craving chocolate last night, I realized that this temptation could easily be my downfall. But because I like chocolate not power. I always applaud those that resist the temptations, mostly because it seems they have their bearings straight. And those that win are often the ones that need the most help. This week was no exception. Of course, I wasn't surprised to see Q eat. He's been struggling from the beginning. Josh and I both screamed at the TV when Rulon ate. But the two of them combined didn't eat even a third of the number that Arthur ended up eating.
So the winner of this challenge was to remain anonymous as they chose if they'd leave the teams alone or if they'd trade two members of their team for two from the other. The trade was made: Jay and Jen (the former Green Team) on the Black Team were traded for Deni and Sarah on the Red. Because we didn't see everyone go in to the temptation, it was possible that someone could've eaten more than Arthur's 35 pieces. But Arthur felt the need to explain his decision as to why he traded the two strongest players from his own team for the two smallest members of the Red team.
Arthur's mind isn't in the game yet. He decided to get rid of a guy he doesn't trust (and why should he when he was the one that sent the Green Team to the Unknowns a few weeks ago and they weren't very happy about that) and bring over people that no one on their team has any loyalty for so they'd be voted off instead of him or his dad.
So what do you think of all of this? Did Arthur do the right thing? Was he acting out of desperation? Do you think you would've tried to best the temptation or taken handfuls? I told Josh I would've had to sit in the doorway in the fetal position to avoid eating just for the sake of eating chocolate\\=
-
The heat began when the two teams had to share the gym. And all the trainers were in the same room at last. There goes my duality theory. Darn. I was really hoping for something theatrical. Oh well.
What do you think of the Red Team's extremely loud work outs? Was the Black Team justified in whining about it? Of course, I'll let you know what I think. No. They weren't. Have they never seen the show? I know that as a tv audience we don't get a real account of what really happens, but when Bob and Jillian have been head to head the gym seems to get pretty rowdy at times. I appreciated Bob and Jillian telling their team to focus. We are in charge of our own bodies. And I do think the Red Team pushed it a bit, but only a bit.
The Challenge: I hoped the Red Team would win, of course, but it's always a good thing for the contestants to get contact from home. Can you believe that Deni and Sarah missed a family wedding? The mother of the bride didn't get to be there. Crazy! I don't know that I could've made that sacrifice. And I'm pretty sure I would've been stumped on the calories challenge too.
The Weigh In: Who would've thought that the Black Team would've gotten so many huge numbers? I was shocked. Their defeatist attitudes bug me, but they did really well this week between the challenge and the weigh in. And seeing Q leave was no surprise. He never did seem to quite commit himself to the cause.
But as I watched all those double digits hit the scale, I had a bit of a revelation. The women who are approaching or in the 100s may only be losing about 5 lbs a week on the Ranch. Really, how much better is that than the 2 lbs I lost at home this week? It's a 3 lb difference, but nearly the same percentage lost. So maybe only losing a pound or two at home is really a good thing and nearly as commendable as a BL contestant.
What did you think this week?
Wednesday, February 2, 2011
Last Night on the Biggest Loser
Can I just tell you how much I love that NBC now will show the latest episodes of BL the next morning and not after 9pm the following Tuesday, which is like it used to be. Makes watching the show online that much better.
So here is a clip from last week's show. If you remember, the green team transferred to the Unknowns' gym and then fought on behalf of the Unknowns at the challenge. I wondered what happened when the Green Team returned to the gym and I found this clip, in case you are interested....
And here is last night's episode.
***SPOILER ALERT***
So this episode began with the weigh in we didn't get to see last week. Everyone did pretty well until we got to Irene and Don. Did anyone else just shake their head in disappointment when they each GAINED 6 lbs? That's a total of 15 lbs gain for Don in the last two weeks. Major setback just to sabotage the weigh in so he could go home. I don't understand. Is it not possible to just walk out? I hardly doubt the Biggest Loser Mafia will hunt people down if they realize they are so miserable that they absolutely must go home. I do hope he finds even more success at home, but I just wish he and his brother would've gone about leaving so much more differently.
So the Unknowns came back to the Ranch and began working out in the gym with the other team. But did anyone notice that Bob and Jillian weren't even in the gym with them at the same time? And none of the trainers made it to final weigh in.
Now, you have to move in closer so I can secretly tell you my thought and the Biggest Loser Mafia won't hear us. I think Cara and Brett are actually Jillian and Bob in disguise. It's a very "Mission: Impossible" sort of thing. Next episode I think Cara and Brett will enter the gym, rip off their plastic masks and reveal that they've been Bob and Jillian the whole time.
When it comes to the final weigh in, I think the Ranch players had an easy challenge to beat their previous week's weight total. Especially considering that two of the players had gained weight instead of losing it. I thought the challenge for the Unknowns was iffy. Pitting them against each other and not against the other team was a bit sly. And, yes, my bias toward the Unknowns is just as strong this week as it has been from the beginning.
I did learn two things this week that I've wondered about before:
1. Josh asked me once if I thought the gym had specialized equipment that was built to withstand the weight of the contestants. We've looked at getting pieces of our own home gym and have noticed that most exercise equipment has a weight limit, generally less than 300 lbs. So what happens when a 400 lb man sprints on a treadmill? Rulon showed us. They break. Two broken treadmills in his first workout on the Ranch. Go, Rulon!
2. I've often wondered how I'd feel if I worked my butt off to win a challenge but saw the hurt in someone else's eyes as they walked away empty handed. My eyes watered as I watched Rulon become emotional over his team's victory. But they had an ideal strategy and ran hard to get it.
So, finally, at the elimination we saw Larialmy head home to save her husband, Q. I think he was pretty admirable in saying he knew he couldn't lose the weight at home, but I also was grateful the rest of the team made him realize that he had to step it up and be true to his wife. If Larialmy was going to sacrifice herself, it had better dang-well be for a good cause. I really hope Q doesn't let her or the team down.
Probably the best quote of the week was by Bob. I wish I really could quote him, but I'll just have to paraphrase. He said that the priorities for losing weight must be: Thought, Food, and then Exercise. So true. If our minds aren't ready, the rest will be impossible to achieve. And it takes a lot less time to eat 500 calories than it does to burn 500 calories. (Just to give you an idea, last week I ran for half an hour and burned about 400 calories and yesterday I biked four miles in half an hour and burned a mere 300 calories.)
What did you think of this week? Why do you think there was such a massive difference between the two teams' weight losses?
So here is a clip from last week's show. If you remember, the green team transferred to the Unknowns' gym and then fought on behalf of the Unknowns at the challenge. I wondered what happened when the Green Team returned to the gym and I found this clip, in case you are interested....
And here is last night's episode.
***SPOILER ALERT***
So this episode began with the weigh in we didn't get to see last week. Everyone did pretty well until we got to Irene and Don. Did anyone else just shake their head in disappointment when they each GAINED 6 lbs? That's a total of 15 lbs gain for Don in the last two weeks. Major setback just to sabotage the weigh in so he could go home. I don't understand. Is it not possible to just walk out? I hardly doubt the Biggest Loser Mafia will hunt people down if they realize they are so miserable that they absolutely must go home. I do hope he finds even more success at home, but I just wish he and his brother would've gone about leaving so much more differently.
So the Unknowns came back to the Ranch and began working out in the gym with the other team. But did anyone notice that Bob and Jillian weren't even in the gym with them at the same time? And none of the trainers made it to final weigh in.
Now, you have to move in closer so I can secretly tell you my thought and the Biggest Loser Mafia won't hear us. I think Cara and Brett are actually Jillian and Bob in disguise. It's a very "Mission: Impossible" sort of thing. Next episode I think Cara and Brett will enter the gym, rip off their plastic masks and reveal that they've been Bob and Jillian the whole time.
When it comes to the final weigh in, I think the Ranch players had an easy challenge to beat their previous week's weight total. Especially considering that two of the players had gained weight instead of losing it. I thought the challenge for the Unknowns was iffy. Pitting them against each other and not against the other team was a bit sly. And, yes, my bias toward the Unknowns is just as strong this week as it has been from the beginning.
I did learn two things this week that I've wondered about before:
1. Josh asked me once if I thought the gym had specialized equipment that was built to withstand the weight of the contestants. We've looked at getting pieces of our own home gym and have noticed that most exercise equipment has a weight limit, generally less than 300 lbs. So what happens when a 400 lb man sprints on a treadmill? Rulon showed us. They break. Two broken treadmills in his first workout on the Ranch. Go, Rulon!
2. I've often wondered how I'd feel if I worked my butt off to win a challenge but saw the hurt in someone else's eyes as they walked away empty handed. My eyes watered as I watched Rulon become emotional over his team's victory. But they had an ideal strategy and ran hard to get it.
So, finally, at the elimination we saw Larialmy head home to save her husband, Q. I think he was pretty admirable in saying he knew he couldn't lose the weight at home, but I also was grateful the rest of the team made him realize that he had to step it up and be true to his wife. If Larialmy was going to sacrifice herself, it had better dang-well be for a good cause. I really hope Q doesn't let her or the team down.
Probably the best quote of the week was by Bob. I wish I really could quote him, but I'll just have to paraphrase. He said that the priorities for losing weight must be: Thought, Food, and then Exercise. So true. If our minds aren't ready, the rest will be impossible to achieve. And it takes a lot less time to eat 500 calories than it does to burn 500 calories. (Just to give you an idea, last week I ran for half an hour and burned about 400 calories and yesterday I biked four miles in half an hour and burned a mere 300 calories.)
What did you think of this week? Why do you think there was such a massive difference between the two teams' weight losses?
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
Last Night on the Biggest Loser
My cable is shutting off today. So I was excited to watch last night's episode on live TV.... for the last time. We chose to turn the cable off because by and large we don't really watch anything worth paying so much money for. However, my prime time favorites will be dutifully watched online.
Like Biggest Loser. See last night's 1 hour episode Here or below.
***SPOILER ALERT***
So we had a half episode because of the State of the Union address. So we didn't get to see the weigh in, but there was still lots of other things to see.
First off, Don is struggling. Last week he and his brother each gained 9 lbs at the weigh in and his twin went home. Now they are separated for the first time in their lives. It's got to be hard for him, but he just doesn't seem to be getting to that point of the change of heart. His cuss-fest didn't even seem that impassioned. At the end of the show they showed a clip from next week. Bob is telling someone that he hopes they get what they need at home because they aren't getting it at the Ranch. I have a feeling he's talking to Don.
Also in that clip they show that someone gains 6 lbs. Is it Don sabotaging the weigh in again or someone else?
I'm scared it might be someone else. The decision to send the Green Team to the Unknowns let us see that much more of what their experience has been like. I think nearly everyone I know struggles with eating well and eating right. The Unknowns have had their meals prepared for them every single day. No worries about calories, balancing carbs and protein, or tasting their food while they prepare it and not adding that to their daily calorie journal (I read somewhere that a single taste while cooking can be as much as 25 additional calories--not sure if it's true, but it's got to add some calories). They've had everything done for them (including making their beds) so all they've had to worry about was working out. What's going to happen when they get just a little bit of reality thrown at them? I'm worried. I don't want to see any of them go. They are by far my favorite team.
I loved how they welcomed the Green Team and encouraged them. I thought the challenge was crappy, though. Even with the weight difference for the numbers they had to hoist 70 ft into the air, the Green Team still had a huge burden of playing on behalf of other people. It just seemed so lopsided. But I'm probably biased since there are certain colors on the Ranch Team that are bugging me. I wanted the Green Team to win.
Two things kind of struck me with this week.
First, I admire Courtney approaching her mother to clear the air about being a disappointing daughter. Anyone else have things they'd love to talk to their parents about but will never gather the courage to do it? I hope they can truly stay close knit and continue to love and support each other.
Second, that temptation had to have been difficult. What would be the star in your food temptation? I don't know exactly. Red Vines, probably. Ice cream with toppings, most likely. Peanut M&Ms, yeah. But I'm such an emotional (hormonal?) eater that it varies. They'd have to also stock donuts, brownies, Chinese food, Italian food, nachos, and soda pop. They aren't always my vices, but there's a good chance I'm more susceptible to one of them at any given point in time.
How about you? What's your temptation? Do you blame Arthur for giving in at the Temptation?
Like Biggest Loser. See last night's 1 hour episode Here or below.
***SPOILER ALERT***
So we had a half episode because of the State of the Union address. So we didn't get to see the weigh in, but there was still lots of other things to see.
First off, Don is struggling. Last week he and his brother each gained 9 lbs at the weigh in and his twin went home. Now they are separated for the first time in their lives. It's got to be hard for him, but he just doesn't seem to be getting to that point of the change of heart. His cuss-fest didn't even seem that impassioned. At the end of the show they showed a clip from next week. Bob is telling someone that he hopes they get what they need at home because they aren't getting it at the Ranch. I have a feeling he's talking to Don.
Also in that clip they show that someone gains 6 lbs. Is it Don sabotaging the weigh in again or someone else?
I'm scared it might be someone else. The decision to send the Green Team to the Unknowns let us see that much more of what their experience has been like. I think nearly everyone I know struggles with eating well and eating right. The Unknowns have had their meals prepared for them every single day. No worries about calories, balancing carbs and protein, or tasting their food while they prepare it and not adding that to their daily calorie journal (I read somewhere that a single taste while cooking can be as much as 25 additional calories--not sure if it's true, but it's got to add some calories). They've had everything done for them (including making their beds) so all they've had to worry about was working out. What's going to happen when they get just a little bit of reality thrown at them? I'm worried. I don't want to see any of them go. They are by far my favorite team.
I loved how they welcomed the Green Team and encouraged them. I thought the challenge was crappy, though. Even with the weight difference for the numbers they had to hoist 70 ft into the air, the Green Team still had a huge burden of playing on behalf of other people. It just seemed so lopsided. But I'm probably biased since there are certain colors on the Ranch Team that are bugging me. I wanted the Green Team to win.
Two things kind of struck me with this week.
First, I admire Courtney approaching her mother to clear the air about being a disappointing daughter. Anyone else have things they'd love to talk to their parents about but will never gather the courage to do it? I hope they can truly stay close knit and continue to love and support each other.
Second, that temptation had to have been difficult. What would be the star in your food temptation? I don't know exactly. Red Vines, probably. Ice cream with toppings, most likely. Peanut M&Ms, yeah. But I'm such an emotional (hormonal?) eater that it varies. They'd have to also stock donuts, brownies, Chinese food, Italian food, nachos, and soda pop. They aren't always my vices, but there's a good chance I'm more susceptible to one of them at any given point in time.
How about you? What's your temptation? Do you blame Arthur for giving in at the Temptation?
Wednesday, January 19, 2011
Last Night on the Biggest Loser
Okay, so it's now Week 3 on this season of The Biggest Loser. You can go to nbc.com or see the episode below.
***SPOILER ALERT***
Can I just tell you how glad I am to finally have the Unknowns revealed? We now have permission to learn about the team members. I think these new trainers both seem interesting and truly want to help the contestants on the show. I'm looking forward to what they can continue to do with their team.
So now that we know the trainers we got a little more of who the team is. I still like them. Despite the eggs over the barrier stunt at the challenge. And, holy Moses! That man is a machine! I haven't seen every season, but it seems that the older men don't generally lose so much weight so fast. And I'm still cheering for Rulon.
Another big part of the episode focused on the lunch with Curtis Stone. Does anyone understand the fascination? Maybe if I was single. Or liked blonds. Or Englishmen. But his recipe looked good. You can actually find the Poached Pears here. Look to the left of that link for some of Curtis's other recipes.
Overall I thought the episode was much more enjoyable than last week..... until the weigh in. The twins claim they each gained 9 lbs this week as a fluke. Really? Really??? How do you feel about that? Can a person actually gain 9 lbs in a week while honestly trying to lose weight on the Biggest Loser Ranch? And if you think that's funk-tified, can TWO people? It's fishy. And sad.
What did you think?
***SPOILER ALERT***
Can I just tell you how glad I am to finally have the Unknowns revealed? We now have permission to learn about the team members. I think these new trainers both seem interesting and truly want to help the contestants on the show. I'm looking forward to what they can continue to do with their team.
So now that we know the trainers we got a little more of who the team is. I still like them. Despite the eggs over the barrier stunt at the challenge. And, holy Moses! That man is a machine! I haven't seen every season, but it seems that the older men don't generally lose so much weight so fast. And I'm still cheering for Rulon.
Another big part of the episode focused on the lunch with Curtis Stone. Does anyone understand the fascination? Maybe if I was single. Or liked blonds. Or Englishmen. But his recipe looked good. You can actually find the Poached Pears here. Look to the left of that link for some of Curtis's other recipes.
Overall I thought the episode was much more enjoyable than last week..... until the weigh in. The twins claim they each gained 9 lbs this week as a fluke. Really? Really??? How do you feel about that? Can a person actually gain 9 lbs in a week while honestly trying to lose weight on the Biggest Loser Ranch? And if you think that's funk-tified, can TWO people? It's fishy. And sad.
What did you think?
Wednesday, January 12, 2011
Last Night on The Biggest Loser
Last night was the second week of this season's Biggest Loser.
***SPOILER ALERT***
So last night the Unknowns, as the group with the unknown trainers is being called, came across as the Goliaths and Bob and Jillian's team as David.
It's only Week 2 and I'm getting tired of the tension of the competition already. Don't get me wrong. I'll still loyally watch the entire show, especially because we have yet to learn much about half of the players. And maybe that's the problem. In an effort to keep the identity of the trainers quiet, there's not much of a bond we get with their team. I don't know that the donuts were actually from the Unknowns' team. I think that was a gimmick. But mean, nonetheless.
What about the idea that Bob and Jillian's team is the Underdog? True, in the past it seems that teams with more women are generally the team that struggles more. But there's no reason why both teams can't completely succeed and prevail. Both teams have members with LOTS of weight to lose, so there's no real difference in that category. I think the challenge proved that the Ranch team just had no leader where the Unknowns team seemed to have Rulon step up and lead the way to an obvious victory.
I'm just annoyed with the whole team vs team thing. Maybe it's just my mood the last few days, but it didn't do anything for me.
I did, however, find Dr H's evaluations interesting. He kind of adds that scare tactic element to his presentations, but honestly, I think sometimes reality is hard to take if you don't have it smack you in the face.
The best part of the night, in my opinion, was the weigh in. I'm so happy for Courtney to finally be under 300 lbs. What an accomplishment that she's been working on for a long, long time. And who couldn't enjoy Arthur's victory dance on the scale?
Let's hope for another successful weigh in next week and a BETTER insight to the Unknowns. The show is risking a major let down if they don't present these new trainers just right. It's already been shared that Jillian is leaving the show but Bob is staying. It will be interesting to discover if both Unknowns stay for Season 12 or if they have to duke it out for Jillian's spot.
***SPOILER ALERT***
So last night the Unknowns, as the group with the unknown trainers is being called, came across as the Goliaths and Bob and Jillian's team as David.
It's only Week 2 and I'm getting tired of the tension of the competition already. Don't get me wrong. I'll still loyally watch the entire show, especially because we have yet to learn much about half of the players. And maybe that's the problem. In an effort to keep the identity of the trainers quiet, there's not much of a bond we get with their team. I don't know that the donuts were actually from the Unknowns' team. I think that was a gimmick. But mean, nonetheless.
What about the idea that Bob and Jillian's team is the Underdog? True, in the past it seems that teams with more women are generally the team that struggles more. But there's no reason why both teams can't completely succeed and prevail. Both teams have members with LOTS of weight to lose, so there's no real difference in that category. I think the challenge proved that the Ranch team just had no leader where the Unknowns team seemed to have Rulon step up and lead the way to an obvious victory.
I'm just annoyed with the whole team vs team thing. Maybe it's just my mood the last few days, but it didn't do anything for me.
I did, however, find Dr H's evaluations interesting. He kind of adds that scare tactic element to his presentations, but honestly, I think sometimes reality is hard to take if you don't have it smack you in the face.
The best part of the night, in my opinion, was the weigh in. I'm so happy for Courtney to finally be under 300 lbs. What an accomplishment that she's been working on for a long, long time. And who couldn't enjoy Arthur's victory dance on the scale?
Let's hope for another successful weigh in next week and a BETTER insight to the Unknowns. The show is risking a major let down if they don't present these new trainers just right. It's already been shared that Jillian is leaving the show but Bob is staying. It will be interesting to discover if both Unknowns stay for Season 12 or if they have to duke it out for Jillian's spot.
Wednesday, January 5, 2011
Last Night on The Biggest Loser
Just for kicks, I figured I'd post about the most recent episode of The Biggest Loser since the newest season just began last night and I'm really hoping for a much more enjoyable season than the last one. I was glad Patrick and Mark won, but I really could have done without most of the rest of the season.
If you missed last night's episode and want to watch, go Here
or watch it here.
***SPOILER ALERT***
So, there are a few reasons why I'm excited for this season. I've already begun cheering for people and I'd like to see them progress.
The grey team (Moses and his daughter Kaylee) are from Shelley, Idaho. Um, hello? That's the coolest named city in the country. Plus, I used to live just a few miles from there. I don't personally know Moses and Kaylee, but I already like them.
The blue team consists of the largest contestant yet. Arthur is over 500 lbs, yet only 2" taller than I am. It's heart breaking and I want to see him succeed and become healthy.
But the biggest reason I'm excited is because the yellow team consists of Rulon Gardner and his friend Justin. Rulon won the Olympic gold medal in wrestling in a shocking match that surprised the world in 2000. But I like him more than just because he's such a featured player this season. It's because I've met him. He's a really nice guy. He mentored my brother who wrestled through high school and went on to earn a wrestling scholarship for college. I can't wait to see how he does.
So, what are your thoughts on the two new trainers? And what about the four weeks of immunity? When they announced that, my jaw dropped. That's a LOT of immunity!
It's no surprise that new trainers are being introduced. Bob and Jillian can't do the show forever. And new twists have got to be difficult to come up with after 11 seasons. I just really hope we are introduced to them next week. I don't want to miss out on seeing how the teams working with the unknown trainers are doing just to keep them secret for a few more weeks. I'm already a bit disappointed that we missed the bulk (pardon the pun) of that group's weigh in.
But, when it comes to the challenge and the teams that got to choose which trainers they wanted (the unknown trainers and 4 weeks of immunity or Bob and Jillian and no immunity), it made me wonder. What would I do? Especially if I didn't know that their group would have such great results in the first week.
I think I'd take the chance with the new trainers. And I'd hopefully learn enough, and lose enough, to be able to withstand whatever twist is happening in four weeks when everyone comes back together.
What would you do? And what do you think of this new season?
If you missed last night's episode and want to watch, go Here
or watch it here.
***SPOILER ALERT***
So, there are a few reasons why I'm excited for this season. I've already begun cheering for people and I'd like to see them progress.
The grey team (Moses and his daughter Kaylee) are from Shelley, Idaho. Um, hello? That's the coolest named city in the country. Plus, I used to live just a few miles from there. I don't personally know Moses and Kaylee, but I already like them.
The blue team consists of the largest contestant yet. Arthur is over 500 lbs, yet only 2" taller than I am. It's heart breaking and I want to see him succeed and become healthy.
But the biggest reason I'm excited is because the yellow team consists of Rulon Gardner and his friend Justin. Rulon won the Olympic gold medal in wrestling in a shocking match that surprised the world in 2000. But I like him more than just because he's such a featured player this season. It's because I've met him. He's a really nice guy. He mentored my brother who wrestled through high school and went on to earn a wrestling scholarship for college. I can't wait to see how he does.
So, what are your thoughts on the two new trainers? And what about the four weeks of immunity? When they announced that, my jaw dropped. That's a LOT of immunity!
It's no surprise that new trainers are being introduced. Bob and Jillian can't do the show forever. And new twists have got to be difficult to come up with after 11 seasons. I just really hope we are introduced to them next week. I don't want to miss out on seeing how the teams working with the unknown trainers are doing just to keep them secret for a few more weeks. I'm already a bit disappointed that we missed the bulk (pardon the pun) of that group's weigh in.
But, when it comes to the challenge and the teams that got to choose which trainers they wanted (the unknown trainers and 4 weeks of immunity or Bob and Jillian and no immunity), it made me wonder. What would I do? Especially if I didn't know that their group would have such great results in the first week.
I think I'd take the chance with the new trainers. And I'd hopefully learn enough, and lose enough, to be able to withstand whatever twist is happening in four weeks when everyone comes back together.
What would you do? And what do you think of this new season?
Monday, September 27, 2010
Bloggest Loser Day 22 and Weekly Check In
I'm a little late this week. Sorry about that. I had no internet over the weekend and by the time we got home from my dad's house Sunday night, I nearly went straight to bed!! That rarely happens.
Anywhooo...
Pam won the weigh in with a loss of 1.68%!!
Two weeks in a row, Pam! You're doing something right!!
I have yet to officially weigh in for this week. I was doing my weigh ins on Fridays, but I got a new toy last week and I set it up on Tuesday, so that is my new weigh in date since it won't let me weigh in any earlier than that.
It's a Bodybugg. Like the one they use on The Biggest Loser. You can get it at 24 Hour Fitness. I'm loving it. I track my food on the BB (Bodybugg) website, just like I was before, but my calorie output is constantly monitored. I'm still in my programming stage. After the first week it will be easier to figure out what my goal calories burned should be and that will dictate what my calories in should be. I've been burning around 3000 calories a day. It's been really fun to see. There's a grid of how many calories I burn each hour. You can see the spikes: when I run, when I grocery shop, when the kids get home from school, when I lift weight, when I do the dishes. I like it. It cost a pretty penny, but Josh justified that it costs less than sending me to the ER again because I don't know what my body is actually doing. Josh is so good to me.
So, I'll be posting my weight loss in the comments section with everyone else.
Goals for this week: Run, eat well, GO TO BED BEFORE 11PM, and drink lots of water.
How did you do this week? Any good news? Anything to vent about? New goals? Did you accomplish your goals from last week? What do you think of the new Biggest Loser season? So many people affected by deaths this season! But the story that got me the most was the mother who had to take her daughter to the hospital because she didn't eat so she wouldn't end up overweight like her mother. I bawled. That one hits close to home. I love my mom, but I've always worried about being overweight like her. And I have three daughters. It's a cycle I don't want to continue.
Anyway, tell me how you did and I'll post my loss on Tuesday!
Go Here for the weight lost calculator.
Go Here for the weight lost calculator.
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